On shaving pounds off of models to make girls anorexic enough to buy purses; or, how to craft a marketing message that won't make you sick.
Show all blog entries
Some of these stories are true, and there is evidence that subliminal messages can influence buying decisions. Some of it is overactive (and presumably under-sexed) imaginations, but everyone agrees that sex sells.
Women's magazines have long Photoshopped pounds off of models to make even rail-thin supermodels skinnier, thereby dooming more than one generation of girls to body image problems and eating disorders. The problem is that it works: the girls don't buy food, but they do buy the products featured in the magazines.
All marketing appeals to our lizard brain on some level. That's not inherently bad; it only crosses the line once you start using damaging appeals to fear or sex, or downright trickery. Recently I received what looked like a bill for a domain name. It wasn't from any company I'd done business with, but all of the marketing copy suggested that I was in danger of losing my domain name unless I sent them a check. I knew it was crap, but how many people see what looks like a bill, then pay it? That's only one step away from identity theft.
Marketing is not social engineering. You should not need to trick people into spending their money with you. All your marketing message needs to do is explain why your product or service is better than the competition.
This raises an issue for people of conscience in marketing and advertising: how can we break free of the problematic marketing messages and focus on selling products without using sex or fear to sell them? You know, for everyone except brothels.
A good marketing message will tell a story. In order to do that you need to figure out what it is that sets your product or service apart from others and identify specific consumer benefits it fulfills. If your widget is fluffier or cheaper than other widgets, how does that benefit your clients? Your marketing message becomes: "40% fluffier so your widgeting goes faster. And cheaper so you have more money to spend on fun things." You can then begin to create marketing concepts that support that specific message, and put them in places your audience is likely to frequent.
If your product isn't stronger or more valuable than the competition in some way you should re-think your business plan. Once you have to resort to lying or shady marketing practices there's no way you'll build trust or customer loyalty, and that will only hurt your business. I'm looking at you, Enron.
It takes some care to craft your marketing message. You have to know your audience, and your competition. Discover how your product is superior to a competitor's. Take a look at what your audience needs, and what their interests are. Instead of using fear or sex, appeal to their sense of logic or humor. Tune your message over time by measuring the success of your project.
Good design is just one piece of your marketing plan. You must have the other pieces, or your competition will stomp your business into the dust leaving you penniless and alone...look over here, naked ladies at 3232 Design!
